Estes Nike-X

[Klatuso]

Here's my latest build of the Estes Nike-X. I took my time with this one and am overall pleased. But I made one major mistake. After carefully papering the wings with spray adhesive and card stock I sanded through the paper. It was a bloody mess. I filled it with wood filler but then rushed the sanding again and left a bubble of filler. I primed, sanded, etce and painted. I console myself that only I will notice that flaw and from 30 feet away this will look pretty darned good. I went with a gloss grey for a more "Military" look and I like it. Also, I saved the parachute and will go with a homemade streamer because I will be using Aerotech composite reloadable engines. I want this to be the "sports car" of my fleet and come down relatively fast so I don't lose it.

 

[ep29030]

Curious: do you soak your cardstock with thin CA to harden the paper before you start sanding it?

 

[Klatuso]

Yes, but only the edges. I try to preserve my CA because I don't have enough money to soak the entire fin. There is a lot of fin real estate on this rocket, and that is a lot of CA for someone who can only afford to buy one of those very small bottles. I know that in proportion to the expense of the rocket itself this is small, but I am on hard times. Larger bills take priority. And I am down to my last bottle.

 

[Klatuso]

Took more than three weeks to build this puppy.

 

[jeffk813]

I generally don't sand the surface of my papered fins at all. At most, I'll smooth out the surface with some 400-grit after priming but only very lightly if at all. I use CA on the edges as well, but I use self-adhesive Avery full-sheet labels so I don't need spray adhesive or CA soaking.

If you're looking at more economical CA than the expensive little bottles at the hobby shop, take a look at a local woodworker's store if there's one near you or on Amazon for a product called FastCap 2P-10. It's a CA available in various viscosities and in large quantities. I use this to finish pens I've turned on my lathe. It also works GREAT for rockets. I picked up a 2-pack of 10oz. (yes, 2- 10 ounce bottles) for about 60 bucks. I think they want $35 for just on bottle. It's a decent cash outlay up front, but 20 ounces of CA will last practically forever. They also sell activator in a 12 ounce aerosol can.

 

[milehigh]

Nice looking bird!
I've got this one on my 'buy and build' list. Had one of the originals back in the early 80s - built it as a two stager with a D- booster stage. Flew really great. You'll love having this classic in your fleet.

 

[neil_w]

I generally don't sand the surface of my papered fins at all. At most, I'll smooth out the surface with some 400-grit after priming but only very lightly if at all. I use CA on the edges as well, but I use self-adhesive Avery full-sheet labels so I don't need spray adhesive or CA soaking.

Me too on all this, other than using CA at the edges. I just use Titebond II.

Sanding is the Achilles heel of papered fins. You have to be very careful or you will mess up the smooth paper surface, and then that will require coats of filler/primer to clean it up. And then you have to be very careful with the sanding again. For my papered fin surfaces, I normally sand the filler/primer with 400 grit and do it slowly and carefully, until I can just see the gray of the primer starting to lighten.

I would also question papering fins on a low powered model with card stock. It's heavy and it's overkill. It will work, but it's just more than you need.

In any case, great looking model. I too had one of the originals in my childhood fleet, always one of my favorites.